AWSAD has inaugurated its fifth safe house in the city of Hawassa on May 13th 2017. The Hawassa safe house, set up with financial support from UNFPA, will have a capacity to serve 30 women and girl survivors of violence coming from the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. Like the other AWSAD safe houses, the Hawassa safe house provides comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration services including psychological counselling, skills training, legal follow-up and reintegration.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony,Fantaye Gezahegn, Deputy Head of Charities and Societies Agency, said, “Because the only organization in Hawassa that used to provide similar services closed down recently, this new AWSAD safe house is just in time.”

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia was voted director general of the World Health Organization on Tuesday, the first African ever to head the agency.

The election was the first conducted by the W.H.O. under more open and democratic rules. After nearly two years of public campaigning, originally by six candidates, the voting took place in a closed-door session in which the health ministers of 186 countries cast their ballots in secret.Source: The New York Times

The international conference on ‘Women in Science,Innovation and Development’, the first in Ethiopia was hosted by Mekelle University from April 10 to 12 at Mekelle University in Mekelle, Ethiopia. The conference was a result ofMekele University’s appreciation of the disproportionate share of women inscience,research and leadership in the country and globally. The conference, therefore, was aimed at shedding light to the challenge and provide opportunities for young female scientists to communicate and network withwell established professionals around the globe and provide a platform where female scientists communicate and share theirideas,experiences and challenges. High profile women professionals,dignatorymemebrs of the community,federal and regional ministers( H.E Mrs. Demitu Hambisa,Minister of Women andChilderenAffarirs; H.E Mahbuba Adem,Stateminster of justice;H.E Kedisan Nega from Tigray regional state council) gender focal persons and academicians from all the 33 universities in Ethiopia, renowned scientists,humanitarians, innovators and entrepreneurs were cordially invited to give their key messages at the event.

AWiB, upon hearing the unsettling news of the UK Parliament decision to pull DFID support to YEGNA, a program which has been instrumental for addressing core issues of the unspoken, unseen, and therefore easy to put in hiding the trials of women and young girls, skillfully crafted to get to people's hearts and minds and changing millions as a result, asks the global community to read our article below and start a conversation. Dialogue is the first step to change!

Understand not Underestimate - YEGNA’s contribution to Social Transformation

Antonio Guterres, who has started his term on New Years Day 2017 , has appointed three women to senior positions at the UN. Guterres , himself a former prime minister of Portugal and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has committed to "gender parity... from top to bottom in the U.N." and accordingly appointed Amina J. Mohammed to serve as UN deputy chief while Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti who is from Brazil is now Chief de Cabinet. The last appointee hails from the Republic of Korea - Kyung wha Kang - will hold the newly-created position of Special Advisor on Policy. Read More .....

What do a blind Jordanian music teacher, an acid attack victim from Colombia, an octogenarian educator from the US, a palliative nurse from Malawi and a bionic pop artist from Latvia have in common? They all made the list of BBC's 100 Women 2016.

These thought –provoking and courageous women all have stories that we can all learn from, be inspired by and help restore our faith in the good that's in the world.

Launched in 2013 as a series of stories covering a broad range of topics such as education, healthcare, equal pay, domestic violence and sexual abuse, the BBC 100 Women was designed to address the lack of content from and about women. A brain child of BBC editor Fiona Crack and fellow BBC journalist Lilian Lando, the series focuses on the issues and achievements of women in contemporary society. Each year, women who are already famous as well as relatively unknown faces who have made worthwhile contributions to humankind are profiled with viewers participating via Twitter before and after the list is made official.

Thuli Madonsela comes from humble beginnings. Growing up in the improvised Soweto during Apartheid, she started out as an assistant teacher before studying law ;earning her Doctor of Laws degree, LL.D. (Honoris causa) from the University of Stellenbosch.

A member of the team that South Africa's first ever post-election constitution, she became the first ever Public Protector of South Africa in 2009. In this role, she has investigated police chiefs, opposition politicians - and even the president himself; despite continuing pressure against her ranging from character assassination to death threats.

Her message regarding corruption is loud and clear – she says if "visible action is taken" against corrupt officials now, then it sends the message to people that "if you are thinking about it - then don't". Read more on dailymaverick.co.za

Congratulations to Rahel Shawl Zelleke for being the first African woman to be awarded the Loeb Fellowship for the academic year 2016 – ’17.

Joined by other Fellows, Rahel will become a member of the worldwide network of practitioners supporting equity and social justice through the built and natural environment.

Rahel is acknowledged, at an African level, for her astounding contribution to her field, and to Ethiopia. She is recognized to be a role model for many in the country, because of her ethics and innovative work in raising design expectations in several cities in Ethiopia.